Freedom
by MinxBubbleOo
Summary: Sequel to Commitment, Cloud's returned to get married but so many doubts are running through his head...what should he do? and where does his love truely lay? CloudxTifa CloudxLeon, will love triamph or will Cloud just carry on hiding? Two shot for length
1. Part 1

**WOOT!!! I finally finished it!!!...The insperation Farie finally hit me with a ten foot poll and told me to finished this sequel...so i did, much to Siara's displeasure xD!!! But uhum it is lyk 15000 or so words long so i have split it into two parts... sorri for all who are impatiant, i have the other half, just aint gonna put it up till like tomorrow, or the next day depending on how many reviews i get MWAAHAHAHAAH!!! Anywho this fic is dedicated to Secret, cause well she's named after the song i use Secret by Greely Estates and to Emo boy, aka Dylan for giving Secret the song who passed it in to me and to Siara who read most of this for me and gave me pointers and Smilebot cause her lovely reviews and pms got me going to write this sequel, you are all awesome!!!!**

**Disclaimer: I own nothing, everything is owned by someone else, even the song...**

**Warnings: Bitchy Tifa... xD and annoying not finished end of part one xD!!!**

**Enjoy**

**...LINEOMIGOSHCANTBELIEVEIFINALLYFINISHEDTHESEQUEL!!!...**

**-The next day-**

Everything had gone wrong for Cloud this morning; he'd gotten back from last night all sore and exhausted, at first he couldn't find the hotel, mostly because he was slightly too intoxicated and when he had finally found it he had stumbled into the main office, smacking into many doors on the way and collapsed at the front desk. The manager had to call in some bell hops to help drag him down to the hotels room that he had been assigned for the wedding and once in there they dumped him down on the bed waking him, but only for a short moment.

He'd soon rolled over and fell back asleep, hoping to get some sleep now that he had finally gotten back to reality. But it was not to happen, just as soon as he'd relaxed down into the folds of his duvet, still dressed in the clothes he wore last night. The door opened and a figure slipped into his room, curious as to why the said sleeping person was out so late and where? And also the dreams he was having at this very moment were plagued with a certain someone whose hair ribbon he still had clutched in his hand.

"Psst" they hissed shaking the sleeping mass, "Cloud wakey wakey" The sleeping figure groaned but did not wake, so the other figure grinned and lent down to the sleeping figures ear. "WAKE UP CLOUD!!!" Cloud shot up in his bed and his eyes cracked open, his hand shot out also to clasp around the neck of the intruder. "Ack choking!!" Cloud turned to see Arieth trying to force his grip to loosen and he sighed; now he wasn't going to get any sleep before the wedding. He let his arm drop to his side and ran the other one through his greasy blonde spikes, he really needed a shower.

"What?" he asked, "Do you want Arieth? Can't you see I'm sleeping?" Arieth took a seat on his bed beside him and hummed to herself before replying,

"One, no you're not and two...where were you last night and why have you only come back now?" Cloud just glared at her and rolled over to go back to sleep,

"Too early...talk...never" Arieth sighed as she watched Cloud go back to sleep, there was only a few hours left until he had to get up and throw his life away. So she supposed she could wait a little longer before finally slapping some sense into him. It was then that she noticed a small piece of ribbon, a deep midnight silky ribbon to be precise, clutched in the hand of Cloud and she smiled; it seemed that there was something that she needed to dig out of Cloud and she wasn't about to let her best friend keep secrets from her, she hadn't ever let him before and she wasn't about to start. So she hopped up off the bed and walked over to where a seat was located beside a lamp, and checking that the time on her watch was in fact 6 30 in the morning and that she had to wake Cloud at 8, she flicked on the lamp and began to read a magazine.

Meanwhile Cloud, who had the appearance of someone sleeping peacefully, was in fact the exact opposite. His dreams were daunting and repetitive, the fact of the seductive ominous Leo haunting his vision. All he could think about was the feel of his skin, the touch of his lips, his misty grey eyes boring into his skull and intoxicating him, and mostly the seductive swing of his ass as he danced across the dance floor.

It was always the same, his dream would start with that same husky voice whispering his name and would end with him slamming into that tight ass as if there was no tomorrow... tomorrow, suddenly he shot awake realising what tomorrow entailed. Well it was now really today but still the day had finally come when he had to decide what his future was going to be forever. Sweat was dripping down his forehead and his clothes were all sticky and wet, he needed a shower really badly. But as he glanced around his room he saw something he would have rather not have noticed. Arieth was sitting on a chair holding a magazine staring at him as if he had just done something very embarrassing.

"What do you want now?" he croaked stumbling up off his bed, "Can't a guy get a moments peace on his wedding day?" Arieth sighed and slid up from her seat to help Cloud stabilize himself, he was now suffering from a baaaaad hangover.

"Go have a shower" she said leading him over to his suites bathroom, "Once you don't reek of alcohol we'll talk... and don't come out until you are sparkling!!!" she threw him rather brutally into the bathroom and slammed the door shut, the sound echoing through Cloud's skull and causing him to groan in pain. The ground was looking like a nice place to spend the rest of his day, it was cold and peaceful and much better than getting married. He lay there groaning, just waiting for the room to stop spinning. In a few hours he was getting married to Tifa, the woman he was supposed to love, but then why did he have so many doubts and a sick feeling in his stomach.

Okay the last one could have been the alcohol but there were so many things running through his head at the moment and he felt so confused. But he couldn't let Tifa down; she'd been in love with him since High School and had been looking forward to this wedding for a year. So he sighed and pushed himself up off the ground, the room spinning as he did so. He turned on the shower and slipped out of his clothes and into the warm cleansing water. He couldn't possibly let down Tifa; he wasn't the type to break a promise. And as the warm water began to soak his skin he remembered the very promise he intended to keep.

**-One year ago-**

"Hey Cloud" Arieth scooted round the tree that was their favourite in the park and slid down onto the ground beside him. "What's up? You're looking kinda down"

"..." Arieth raised her eyebrows at Cloud's reaction and then smiled before crying,

"Oh my god we've lost him!!!" Cloud snapped into focus at the sound of screaming and then for the first time he noticed the brunette sitting beside him,

"Shut up Arieth..." he mumbled, "I...just..."

"Tifa did it didn't she, she said the marry word?" Cloud nodded and then tucked his knees up and wrapped his arms around them. "Well what did you say? Is that why you called me?" Cloud nodded and then whispered,

"I just...ran"

"You didn't?!"

"Y...es" Arieth let out a howl of laughter before giggling,

"Oh my, so you finally figured out that..."

"That's just it, I can't figure out anything! What am I going to do?"

"Well what does your heart tell you?"

"My what?"

"Your heart, ya know the thing that tells you how good Tifa looks when she dresses up...or how sweet she is when... is she ever sweet?"

"Oh...uhum...I don't think I have one, for its staying silent."

"Well that's probably because..."

"Do you think I should call her? I was really rude; I should go back and say yes, She won't be happy that I ran, Oh what if she leaves?!!" Arieth sighed, Cloud was so stupid sometimes. He'd been dating Tifa ever since High School after well Arieth and Cloud had been there but had just decided to stay friends. Anyone who wasn't blind, deaf, or stupid could tell that Cloud wasn't happy and didn't truly love Tifa, but he'd come from a bad home and didn't have much love in it so when he got just a little he'd clung onto it. And at first everyone had gone along with it thinking the relationship wouldn't work. See Cloud even though he thought that no one loved him, it wasn't true HEAPS of people liked him, he just never noticed them...being too hidden away inside his shell.

"Look" Arieth began lifting Cloud head so she looked directly into it, "You need to ask yourself do I really love her? Do I really want to spend the rest of my life with her? Is there anyone...and I mean anyone else who might love me more. And then..."

"Wait!" Cloud shook his head out of Arieth's hands, looking rather befuzzled and asked, "What are you saying...You don't think Tifa loves me??" That look, it was like a dagger to the heart to Arieth and she hated it when Cloud looked at her so, how was it? Like a beaten puppy!

"No it's just..."

"You don't!" Arieth sighed, now she'd done it, she released the hysterical Cloud that thinks that no one loves him. "You don't think she loves me! You don't think anyone loves me!!! Well your wrong Tifa does love me!! She has to!!"

"Cloud calm!" but Cloud wasn't listening, in fact he was actually now running away...

"She does love me!!!" he cried as he ran, "You'll see we will get married, I promise!!!" Arieth just sighed and rubbed her temples, well that was that, now he was bound to throw his life away with that witch and never even realise that love was right in front of his eyes... and here was that figure walking right towards her...

**-Shower-**

Cloud sighed as he switched off the shower and fell out of the shower. After that he'd returned to Tifa, apologised and they had gotten engaged. Cloud hadn't regretted it or anything, Tifa was the only one who would help him though his dark moments or the times when his memories would haunt him, other than Leon, but he went through the same thing having demons in his past so it was easy to relate to him. Cloud has always regarded him as a good friend, just like Arieth... Arieth! Wait wasn't she here a moment ago? Where did she go? And when did the ground get so close? Questions like that ran through Cloud's mind as he lay on the ground once more, yes he actually fell out of the shower and onto the floor, he did after all have a bad hangover.

He looked around, his face smushed onto the ground and saw his clothes that he wore last night. Last night...the stranger called Leo, oh god...Realisation finally hit him. He'd cheated on Tifa, but then she wouldn't love him anymore. He'd been so drunk and confused last night he'd practically been a different person, no respect or consideration for the one who he want mean to marry. He recalled how he'd openly flirted with Leo and danced with him and then…slept with him, he didn't think he would ever forget that. But how was he mean to explain that to the one who loved him…well used to.

"Would that be so bad if she didn't love me anymore" he whispered to himself, "Maybe I could go fin...No oh no what have I done!" he pushed himself up onto his feet and shakily grabbed a towel to wrap around his waist, no one but Tifa was stupid enough to love someone like him, someone who was ugly and didn't know anything when it came to love, see Cloud had some slight self confidence issues ever since he was younger. His father had drilled it into this head that he was a useless son, who didn't deserve his family, nor his home or even his inheritance, not that he really wanted it after the beatings he was given concerning it.

And his mother was rather a woman of the town, always socializing and rather neglecting. The only comments she made to Cloud were, _'Don't I look fabulous?!'_ or _'Why don't you have my good looks?' _or even _'Have you realised how ugly you are?'_ all in all the combination of his physically abusive father and his mentally abusive mother had made him not grow up sparkling with confidence, he had more shrunken away into a shell, nowadays hiding behind Tifa. , but the funny thing was that when he was with Leo they all seemed to fade away, he was a confident strong person, who didn't cower behind anyone. He stumbled out of the bathroom only to have to rush back in there to be sick multiple times. Arieth ran in after him and cringed as she saw him crouched over the hotels toilet spewing out the alcohol he consumed last night.

"Oh nasty" she whispered, cringing once more. Once Cloud had finished she shuffled over to him and helped him shakily to his feet.

"Arieth..." he moaned, "I did something awful to Tifa!" Arieth laughed and replied,

"Nothing can be nasty when it comes to that woman..." she put one of Cloud's arms over her shoulders and helped him drag himself out of the bathroom and over to his bed. Once there she sat him down and went over and fetched his suit he was meant to be wearing to the wedding. He looked at it lying on the bed and shook his head; there was no way that Tifa would still love him anymore. Arieth noticed his mood and sighed, it looked like there were some serious best man duties to be done here. Yes Arieth was the best man and no she wasn't going to wear a suit doing it! She sat down on the other side of Cloud and turned his face to face her. "What's the problem? Don't you want to marry Tifa anymore? After that big fit you had earlier about it!!" Cloud shook his head and then whispered,

"It's not that...she won't love me anymore and, and...I'll have no one!!" Arieth frowned and took a deep breath, sometimes this man infuriated her.

"Why? And who is this Leo person you were talking to in your dreams earlier" Cloud went deadly silent and then bright red. Arieth had heard his dream...oh... Arieth looked Cloud over, now he'd gotten out of that reeking suit he smelt a little better, the vomiting not helping, but she did notice the small bruises Cloud had over his torso, wait some were…oh right, so that was what happened…

"Its...well..."

"You had a one night stand didn't you? And now you feel terrible about Tifa and because you cannot move on you don't think she will love you anymore, right?" Cloud just nodded miserably and Arieth sighed, "Man sometimes you are..." once more she took a deep breath before continuing, "Seeing as you've truly showed how far you will go for her I doubt she's gonna dump you for something so petty as a drunken one night stand...unless..." Cloud blushed and looked away from her and she gasped, "You feel something for this Leo don't you, was she that cute? Can you even remember her?"

"No! I mean I don't feel for...it was a guy okay!" Arieth was silent and for a long time Cloud kept his face looking down at the ground in shame, he was sure that even though Arieth was his best friend going twenty one years she was still going to ridicule him for sleeping with another man.

"That's it?" she finally cried, "You're upset because you slept with a man?!!! Look around you Cloud, how many of you friends are gay?" Cloud lifted his head to look at her and then frowned.

"Uhum..."

"There's Sora, Riku, and Sephiroth and Vincent, not to mention..."

"Okay I get it...but I still cheated on her..."

"So what she doesn't know won't hurt her. You were hopelessly drunk anyway, your toilet can back you up on that..."

"But..."

"Cloud if it bothers you that much tell her! See what she say!! If that's what is going to clear your conscious!"

"...He knew me..."

"Pardon?"

"He knew my name! I didn't recognise him, but he knew my name..." Arieth raised her eyebrows at this and asked,

"Wait you slept with someone who knew you on your stag night?"

"Y...es"

"Well that's a little different..." Arieth fell silent before she gasped and then frowned, "Oh he wouldn't...Look Cloud you should get dressed and don't worry about the one night stand...if T-Tifa is the one you love then get up now and get ready for your wedding is soon. I have to go see someone..." she got up and began to head towards the door, but stopped halfway and looked back at Cloud, "Did you feel anything for Leo?" she asked. Cloud looked over at her and she could tell his mind was full of doubts and worries and she knew he had no answer, at the moment he was too messed up. So she turned and left, leaving him still contemplating her last question.

**-Cloud-**

'_Did I feel anything for Leo? He was sexy and seductive...but then again I was drunk...oh I don't know! when I was with him it felt so different, so right...as if I belonged. But then Tifa, I just can't bare myself to...'_ he looked down at his finger where his engagement ring should be and his eyes widened.

"Holy Crap!! Where the hell is that??!!" he tried to think frantically where he had left him, but all the thinking he was doing already was making him feel like vomiting again...so he did. He ended up rushing back into the bathroom and spewing once more in the toilet. He wiped his mouth and then gasped, "Leo, he has it…" he groaned before stumbling back onto his feet, how was he going to explain that one. Oh sorry I let my one night stand, who was a guy by the way get a hold of my engagement ring and I am getting married in a few hours, sorry. Yeah right. "Oh god Tifa!" she was going to hate him, he didn't want to be hated, it was just…how was he meant to explain it.

The moment he'd seen Leo he'd connected with him, as if a spark had been instantly lit between them, one that would never extinguish and now he yearned to stoke the flame even more. Why did Leo seem so familiar? Cloud had never liked any guys before; he'd always been a straight women man…but now? He didn't know anymore. "Oh this is all too confusing! I'll just get ready and marry Tifa, that's the simplest thing. It's not like I'm ever going to see Leo again, he was a taste of something out of reach and forbidden and a one night mistake…" he shook his head clear of all the thoughts of Leo, somehow they still managed to excite him, why was it Tifa never did? And he started to get changed into his suit, as he did though he couldn't help but tie the silk ribbon around his wrist. Somehow he just couldn't manage to throw it out…

**-Arieth-**

After leaving Cloud's room, Arieth headed off in search of a certain wedding guest.

"It's a weird coincidence, almost too much of a coincidence" she laughed, "Figures Clouds too, how to put it nicely…Tifafied to realise it though!" It was true that Arieth didn't like Tifa at all. In fact she had never thought that Tifa was worthy of her best friend, but for his sake had kept quiet. Secretly she was beginning to like how this day was going to turn out. Don't get her wrong she didn't like people to get hurt, but there were something's she wouldn't forgive and most of them had been committed by Tifa.

So to her that woman deserved everything she was going to get…but not Cloud if that's how things turned out. She finally came up to the door she had been searching for and frowned, there was a small chance that she was going to be wrong…but it was really small, as in microscopic small. She lifted her hand and knocked on the door three times, waiting patiently to see if she could hear any movement. Nothing! not a sound, so she knocked again, and again…and again. Still nothing, it seemed like no one was in. So she tried the next best option, letting herself in.

She twisted the doorknob and for the second time this morning, the hotels doors failed to keep her out of any room. "Pathetic" she muttered as she opened the door and slipped inside the room. It was dark inside, so she guess the inhabitant must either be out or sleeping. She looked over to the bed and clicked her tongue, it was empty. "Damn" that meant that he was out…Wait, was that the shower? Arieth smiled, at least she hadn't come all this way for nothing, she just had to do a little more waiting was all.

She done it twice already, once more couldn't hurt…much. She sat down on and identical chair to what she had been sitting on earlier whilst waiting for Cloud to try and nap off his alcohol. "De Ja Vu" she muttered beginning to twiddle her thumbs while she waited. But he was taking too long and Arieth soon got bored of waiting so she stood up and walked over to the curtains. "It's too dark in here anyway" she breathed as she pulled them open, "And it smells a bit…"

"Well that's not too nice to say Arieth" Arieth spun to see Leon standing in the doorway of his bathroom dressed nicely in his suit for the wedding. He was his usual cocky self, dressed in a dark blue suit; it was almost…Arieth smiled,

"Gotcha" she whispered. His hair was all wet and un-brushed and he was only really half dressed, his white shirt not tucked in nor his tie done up…not to mention he was missing shoes, but then again Arieth had not come here to asses Leon suit, she had a mission. "So Leon, ready for the wedding?" there it was that flicker in Leon's eyes that always gave him away, it was small and virtually unnoticeable, but Arieth knew it was there and she knew why as well. Leon cleared his throat and then answered coldly,

"Yes, but you don't seem to be. Should you not be getting ready?" Arieth looked down at her watch and cringed, it was about ten to nine and she should really be getting ready now, but if she continued with her mission she might not have to get ready at all so…

"Yeah well I might just go like this…so why didn't you come to the party last night?" Leon raised one eyebrow at her and then began to finish getting ready,

"Well I'm sorry mother I fell asleep and didn't wake till earlier"

"That's so no true!"

"How would you know?"

"Uhum…" Arieth was a little lost for a reason other than her suspicions, but that didn't mean she wasn't going to continue. "You weren't here…I uh I came and checked" this was a lie, but only a little one.

"Oh really?" Damn there was no way that Arieth could tell for sure that Leon hadn't been in his room all night unless…

"Yeah, you and Cloud were the only ones not at the party…" there it was that faint twitch that happened every time Cloud was mentioned in a conversation. "So what did you do last night? I already found out what Cloud did, so did his toilet…nasty" she waited for Leon to answer her, but he didn't seem to want to for he kept on getting ready in silence. Arieth waited, and waited until finally she started to get rather annoyed. "Come on Leon! What happened? Did you meet up with Cloud last night???"

"No" Arieth cringed this wasn't really the answer she was looking for, not at all.

"Are you sure? You room reeks of booze, so I don't believe you've been here all night. So what did you go and do?"

"Nothing"

"So not true" Arieth noticed a change in Leon's whole attitude and his body and cringed, here came the angry Leon. He spun round to face Arieth, his eyes blazing and his normal calm aura completely thrown out the window.

"What do you want me to say?!" he boomed causing Arieth to flinch, "That I went out?!"

'_Yus'_

"Got completely hammered?!"

'_Yus!'_

"And slept with some slut that I can't even remember??!!!"

'_NO!'_ Arieth could have cried; she nearly had him!! But he had to go and say the wrong thing!! "Well did you?" she finally asked.

"…You'd better go get ready; you know where the door is…" Leon turned away from her and headed back towards his bathroom.

"Alright…" Arieth turned in defeat and headed towards the Leon's door. Once she reached it she turned back, just like she did in Cloud's room and looked to where Leon stood in the doorway of his bathroom still not facing her. She had to leave him with something to ponder, it was her tradition.

"Cloud's really confused at the moment" she said, "Maybe you should speak to him? He has a little problem with a lion…" and with that she opened the door and fled down the hallway, in a rush to get ready before the ceremony, for at the moment it looked like there was still going to be a wedding… but then again miracles could happen!

**-Leon-**

Leon stood silent and still in the doorway of his bathroom, what had he done? He'd gone and done it now. Poor Cloud, he must have been feeling so confused. He knew that he should have probably gone and talked to him, even though he never saw Leon as anything more than a good friend, he still confided in him… he sighed, shook his head and walked back over to his bed.

"What would I say anyway…" he whispered staring out of his window, "Hey Cloud, I know it's your wedding day but don't get married to Tifa, leave her and be mine for I've loved you since the first time I lay my eyes upon you?" he laughed, "Sure that will go down well!" he reached down into the pocket of his jacket he now had one and pulled out a gold ring. "Would you ever forgive me for falling for you?" he whispered, "Could you ever love me?"

A single tear dripped down his face and onto the ring. He laughed once more at the how pathetic he must have looked brooding over someone who would never even recognize any love except Tifa's. He shoved the ring back in his pocket and shook his head clear of anymore tears that were forming and pushed himself up off his bed. "It's time" he muttered before slipping on his shoes and heading out of his room. It was nearly time for the ceremony to start and he didn't want to be late, if Cloud was going to throw his life away with that woman, he at least wanted to be there to see what Tifa had that he didn't.

**-Arieth-**

Arieth had torn down the hallway to her room, threw on her dress she was wearing to the wedding and ran into the bathroom to brush her hair and put it up in a nice style and also apply some light make-up. Ten minutes later she was looking positively elegant and sparkling with beauty, she looked so pretty. Well she thought so anyway, and she hoped that Zack would too.

"Now to see to Cloud, can't have the groom missing his own wedding" she laughed and slipped on her heels before tearing back out of her room and off down the hall back to Clouds room. She bumped into a few lost guests on the way and politely directed them to the ballroom where the ceremony was being held. The wedding was taking place at the five star hotel in Radiant Gardens and everyone of Cloud's and Tifa's family and friends had been invited. Yuffie was Tifa's made of honour, just as Arieth was Cloud's best man. And here came Yuffie now running towards Arieth, "What's up Yuffie? Something wrong?" Yuffie came to a panting stop in front of Arieth and Arieth waited patiently for her to catch her breath.

"Nothing…is…right…for…that woman!!" Arieth smiled, it was true Tifa was rather the perfectionist.

"Why what's the matter now?"

"The band cancelled!"

"Aw man no way! They were gonna be the best part of this whole thing!!" Yuffie laughed then added,

"Don't let her highness hear that, she'll blow her top! You can practically see the steam already. The lead singer called in sick and now the band won't perform and she's gone and sent me out to find someone!!"

"Oh poor you, I'm glad I'm the best man!" Yuffie smiled before taking a deep breath and then slumping down against the wall.

"Where am I meant to find a singer in the next hour??!!"

"Uhum…" Arieth knew only of one singer that might be up to singing, but then again Leon wasn't in a good mood with her… "You could always ask Leon, he might do it for Cloud" Yuffie face lit up and she squealed,

"Oh yes I forgot he sings!!" Arieth sighed, Yuffie was completely missing the point of her comment but that was Yuffie. She squealed once more before taking off down the hall, "If you see Leon before me, ask him to see me before the ceremony please!!"

"Sure thing!!" Arieth shook her head, sometimes Yuffie was rather unorthodox, but then again this whole wedding was rather unorthodox. Arieth carried on until she reached the floor that Cloud's room was on. And as she rounded the corner that led to his room she froze, there was Leon outside Cloud's room…kinda just standing there staring at it, as if in a trance. "Well this is an interesting turn of events…" she whispered to herself, "Wonder if he's going inside?"

**-Leon-**

'What am I doing here?' Leon asked himself as he stood outside Cloud's room. Truth was he couldn't get the blonde out of his head and everything in his body was screaming at him to go and talk to Cloud. So he'd managed to walk round to Cloud's room, but now there he just couldn't muster up the courage to knock on the door. _'I can't do it…today's his special day, I can't ruin it for him just because of my feelings. What I did was selfish and I shouldn't have done it'_ he shook his head as more tears brimmed up in his eyes, he didn't want to be caught crying. "Goodbye Cloud" he whispered, completely unaware that he was being watched and began walking away from Cloud's room.

**-Arieth-**

"Leon wait!" Leon spun on his heels to see Arieth running towards him, "Please wait!!" Leon turned again to leave, he didn't want to talk to Arieth, but he was a little too late, for Arieth was already upon him. "Hey Yuffie wanted to talk to you" she puffed. Leon looked at her a little confused then asked,

"Why?"

"She wants you to sing"

"What?!"

"The band cancelled because their lead singer call in sick and her highness doesn't have anyone to replace him so that they can still sing…" Leon smirked and then asked,

"And you all want me to help her?" Arieth exhaled and then bit her lip before muttering,

"Well if you won't do anything else today you could do this…for Cloud" Leon glared at her and she knew she'd won him over; he would do nearly anything for Cloud…well she was beginning to think that he might actually do anything.

"Fine…"

"Oh how nice of you" Arieth beamed, "You'd better go find Yuffie, she's looking for you…unless you wanna talk to Cloud before we head off to the Ballroom?" Leon looked down at the ground and was silent, he really really wanted to talk to Cloud, but he knew he would never actually do it. But before he could tell Arieth this Cloud's door creaked open and the very topic of the conversation poked his head out of the doorway and looked at the pair.

"Arieth?" he croaked. He looked awful, no kidding he was pale and he looked like he'd thrown up thousands of more times. His eyes were all out of focus and he also looked like he was about to pass out. Leon was frozen on the spot but Arieth rushed to Cloud's side so that he wouldn't fall over.

"Leon come on help me!" she hissed but when she looked back up to where Leon had stood frozen a moment ago, she saw nothing…he had gone. "Chicken!!" she yelled trying to hold Cloud up on his feet. "Come on Cloud, let's get you lying down before you pass out and miss you wedding…" this set Cloud off. He began to hyperventilate about everything that had happened to him, while Arieth just silently listened and helped him lie down. As she lay him down on his bed she noticed the small midnight blue silk ribbon tied around his wrist. "You did feel something for him didn't you Cloud?" she whispered, but she got no answer and finally she decided to see if he had indeed passed out. She lifted his face up so she could look at it and was met by two teary blue eyes.

"I don't know anymore…" Cloud whispered. Arieth had to stop herself from one bursting into tears at the sight of her best friend nearly crying and two breathing the crap out of Leon...we'll probably getting someone like Yuffie too, but nether the less, she still wasn't happy with him.

"What made you change your mind?" she whispered,

"I don't know, I don't even know if I have changed my mind…I don't even think I have a mind!!" Arieth giggled before sitting Cloud up and asking,

"Are you still going through with it?"

"With what?"

"Uh the wedding!!"

"Oh…yes…"

"What?! Why??!"

"I don't…I just am!"

"That's silly"

"So"

"…Alright if that's what you want"

"But I don't know what I want anymore!" Arieth sighed, this was all too complicated for her, after this she was going to take a looooong holiday with Zack.

"Well that was you need to sort out…and soon, the weddings starting in an hour."

"Help?"

"I cannot, this is for you to decide…"

"…I'll do it, it's just easier" Arieth grinded her teeth together, she really wanted to smack Cloud senseless for his stupidity but she wouldn't.

"Alright…as long as you are happy"

"Tif..."

"But are you?"

"…I spose"

"Fine lets go throw your life away then" she helped Cloud up to his feet and with linked arms they headed out of his room, "You know I'm here for you no matter what you decide" Arieth whispered as Cloud opened the door.

"You are?"

"Of course, one day you'll realise it but there are more people in the world but Tifa…now let's go" she pulled Cloud out of the room, who had suddenly gone into a trance, and off down the hall towards the ballroom where the ceremony was being held.

**-Cloud-**

'_Other people than Tifa? Who?'_ he recalled back to earlier, wasn't there someone else with Arieth… wait he looked a lot like Leo…Arieth knew Leo? And she didn't tell him; maybe she wanted Leo all to herself? And she didn't want Cloud to have him! Completely forgetting that Arieth was already taken, shows what love can do to a person _'But do I really want him? Don't I love Tifa anymore? Did I ever?'_ Cloud pulled himself away from Arieth; did she even mean anything she'd said before?

There were so many doubts in his head; he didn't think he was in a fit state to get married right now, he felt sick again. They had made it to the elevator, but now Cloud wasn't sure he wanted to go any further. He looked around himself frantically, he needed a bathroom but there was none… so he did what he did best and ran.

"Cloud!" Arieth called after him, but he wasn't stopping. "Aw crap Cloud" she cursed and ran after him. He was heading for the stairs and he wasn't stopping until he reached the ground floor, they were on the 23rd floor by the way, so that was a bit of a long run, especially in heels and a dress, so Arieth instantly fell behind Cloud and ended up stopping and heading into another floor to take an elevator. But Cloud continued to run; he needed fresh air and lots of it. So at the moment he was heading for somewhere like the outdoor pavilion that the reception was going to be held in after the wedding, what he didn't know was that was probably the worst place to be going to if he wanted to clear his head.

**-Leon-**

After running away at the sight of Cloud like a coward, Leon had headed out to find Yuffie to say he would sing. Unfortunately that meant that after locating Yuffie's position, he had to go into _**her**_ room. And that was the last thing that he wanted to do at the very moment, but it was for Cloud after all. And even if he couldn't have him for his own, he knew that he would always try to help if he could; he just couldn't bring himself to stop caring for Cloud, but he also knew that he had to, it wasn't healthy for him to keep dreaming for someone who didn't love him. Leon knocked on Tifa's room's door and waited for someone to answer. A frustrated looking Yuffie came running to the door and when she saw him glomped him and began to scream.

"Oh thank you!!!" she screamed, "I can't thank you enough!!!"

"You don't even know why I'm here yet…" he managed to choke. Yuffie pulled away from him and then grinned,

"If you had said no, then you wouldn't have turned up at all…Arieth must have pulled the Cloud card" she laughed and spun round and ran into the room, whilst Leon just stood there and tried to hide his blush, it didn't go along with his stone cold impression he liked to maintain. "Tifa! Tifa!! Great news!! Leon agreed, we have a singer!!!" there was some commotion from inside the room and then Tifa came running out. She saw Leon standing there and then ran up to him.

"Oh thank god, I thought we'd have to go and tell everyone that we didn't have a singer, how embarrassing would that be?! Now you need to head out to the pavilion and see what the band needs you to sing, go!" Tifa pushed him down the hallway and slammed the door shut, Leon was at least expecting a thank you from her but then again that was Tifa.

"I can't believe he loves her" he grumbled as he headed off to the pavilion, "What does she have that I don't?!" he pressed the button on the elevator and waited for it to reach his floor. "Well I spose she had long black hair all curled and pinned up like a princesses and a pretty white dress that must have cost Cloud a million dollars, all frilly and cover in gems and FITTED!!" Yes Leon envied how Tifa managed to make her boobs accentuated by most clothes she wore. "I hate her" he muttered, she was always so bossy and so possessive of Cloud, when really she only used him for his money.

"I'm surprised she hasn't being quizzing Cloud on last night…she was probably too busy herself" Leon strode into the elevator and practically punched the ground floor button before stomping over to lean on one of the walls. Tifa only used Cloud for his munny, what with the munny he inherited and his high paying job, she was living it up. Not going to work and getting everything she ever dreamed of, while Cloud slaved away truly thinking that she loved him.

Arieth and Leon had seen the things that Tifa had done, the many times she'd cheated on Cloud, but whenever they tried to tell him, he would deny it and just repeat, she loves me. It irritated Leon to no end. So when the opportunity to show Cloud what real love was Leon had taken it, but it seemed now that he'd done only more damage and he intended to make up for it by, after the wedding stepping out of Cloud's life forever.

There was no room for him anymore, it seemed there never was. He'd finally come to that decision seeing thinking over everything and realising that Cloud was defiantly in love with Tifa and not him and there was really nothing he could do about it. So when the elevator reached the ground floor he decided that this song was going to be the best song he would ever sing, seeing as it was his gift to the newlyweds. He strode out of the hotel's lobby and headed round the back to where a huge pavilion was set up for the reception.

It was a beautiful sight all white and decorated with flowers and ribbons, although Leon noticed there wasn't any black really around so it defiantly hadn't been designed by Cloud. He headed past all the frantic staff and all the decorated chairs and tables to the stage where a band sat all looking angry. "Hey, you guys the band?" All heads lifted to face him and then all scowled at him,

"Yeah" one guy said, "We know, were clearing out!" Leon smirked at him; this was going to be a lot of fun.

"Not that, I'm your new lead singer…according to the bride that is" everyone laughed at Leon and a different guy sitting by the drums commented.

"How are you meant to learn our songs in time for the reception?"

"Dunno, but you're all wasting valuable time but talking…let's do this, I do have a wedding to attend…" All the band members looked at each other searching for an answer and Leon sighed,

"Do you want to get paid?"

"Let do this!!" cried the guy who had first spoken,

"YEAH!" all the others agreed. They all got up and grabbed their instruments, getting ready to perform; Leon noted they were quite eager. There was one on an acoustic guitar who by the looks of it also played lead, one on drums, a guy with a violin, also one on piano who obviously sung back up, one guy holding a bass and lastly a microphone set up in the middle of the stage.

"Well here goes…" Leon jumped up on the stage and strode over to the obvious leader, the guy on the guitar and asked, "So what are we singing?"

"Well we have lots of songs, here's the wedding playlist…" he handed a wad of paper to Leon, which had a list on top of it.

"Wow okay…"

"You don't know any do you?"

"Oh I know…wait no…aha nope…uhum…yes I know the one called Secret"

"Well okay let's practice that one first and then we'll move onto another easy one that you can pick up easy, you can sing right?"

"Do you think the bride would be letting me sing if I couldn't?" the guitar guy flinched and then shook his head. "Exactly, let's get this started then…" the guitar guy nodded at all his musicians and Leon walked over to the microphone, actually this was one of his favourite songs so he knew it off by heart. Who knew he was going to get a chance to sing it!

Softly guitar guy began to play, his strumming chords echoing throughout the pavilion, it seemed that all the staff fell to a stop at the sound of his calming music, entranced by what was about to come. Leon took a deep breath as the phrase came to an end and then began to sing,

"For the first time, I saw inside of you,  
And somewhere within you, lies the whole truth,  
It's time, to let go, to let go,"

Still the guitar continued to play and as he reached the last words of the verse, the piano guy joined in, harmonizing on his words. Everyone just stood and stared, it seemed as if the world itself had ceased to spin listening to Leon and as the drummer lightly ran his soft mallets across the cymbal as an intro into the next verse more people began to gather to hear his wonderful voice.

"Your secret is safe with me,  
Cause my lips are sealed,  
Far from the lies they talk to you,"

The guitar moved to a faster louder beat being joined with the drums, one loud beat of the bass drum every first and third beats of the bars and Leon increased his volume too, falling into the spell of the song. He began to swing his hips and close his eyes, just singing from deep inside his soul, letting the raw feeling of his words spill out onto everyone in the room, everyone loving the entrancing sound of his voice and the added harmony of the pianist.

"For all the times when you felt abandoned,  
I want you to know that you're not alone,  
And now this weight has been lifted from you,"

Once more the guitarist fell into a gentle slower tempo and Leon began to swing slower, how much raw emotion he spilled into this song, this was all for Cloud. He loved the added depth that the violin gave as it began to echo in the background of this verse, he couldn't help but let the word alone be cried out long and loud, this was what he wanted Cloud to understand, he wasn't alone, he never would! If only Cloud could hear him, then he might understand! And with raw emotions filling the pavilion he continued to sing, never realising that the very person of his deepest desires was standing there watching him…

**...LINEAGAINDONOTFRETTHEREISASECONDPARTCOMINGUPTOMORROWJUSTASSOONASIYAKNOWPUTITUP...**

**Hahahahahaa now you all have to wait for the second part xD!!!! it wont be a long wait, but reviews fuel my ability to put it up xD!!!! so press that green button down there and leave a review...kay...**

**Minx out!!!! **


	2. Part 2

**Hey =) uhum...sorri i didnt upload quicker, i is lazy -_- anywho, here is the second part of Freedom tada!!! and woot i was quite proud i actually managed to kinda write fluff...well i think so anyway xDD. Oh yeah and i kinda know that i like gave heaps of the caracters major personaltly changes...but oh well it is fan fic after all xD!!! Thanks to all the lovely people who reviewed and to SECRET, just cause shes the name of the song i used, she is awesome =) so nuff from me go on read, i know you want to xDD**

**Disclaimer, I do somly swear that i do not own anything, not even the song...but i do own Secret the person...(sniggers)**

**Warnings: Fluff DUN DUN DUUUUUN!!!!**

**enjoy =)**

**...LINEWOOTHERESTHESECONDPARTANDOMIGOSHIACTUALLYWROTEFLUFFXDDD...**

**-Cloud-**

Cloud ran and ran until he managed to reach the ground floor lobby, he didn't stop even then. His head was spinning, he felt sick and his chest was on fire, but he didn't stop. He needed to get out. He shoved past people, heading ever so closer to the main doors.

**-Arieth-**

"Cloud! Cloud!!! Stop!!!" Arieth was screaming at him as she tried to keep up with him, the last thing she needed was for Cloud to run off and do something stupid. "Come back and we'll sort everything out!!" She came to a halt as Cloud tore out through the revolving doors and out onto the street. "Crap" she hissed, "Now what?!"

"Runaway groom" someone asked. Arieth looked up to see Zack standing beside her,

"Oh Honey!" she cried jumping into his waiting arms, "You won't believe the disaster this wedding is turning into! Cloud's ran off because he confused and unsure that he wants to marry Tifa, they don't have a Singer and Le…"

"Shush one at a time" Zack whispered putting a finger over Arieth's lips. "Now what? Cloud's run off why?"

"Because he's not sure he wants to marry Tifa anymore…"

"What?! I thought he was a love struck puppy when it came to her?"

"He was…until last night…" Zack frowned and then sighed,

"One night stand?"

"Yes and oh it's all confusing, say we can go on a looooong holiday after all this please!" Zack smiled and then leant forward and kissed his wife, yes people they were married!

"Sure you look like you need it. Now what's this about a singer?"

"Oh the lead singer for the band is sick…oh wait Leon taking care of that but oh! I need to go find Cloud, the weddings going to start soon!" she looked over to where the Ballroom entrance was and saw it was filling up with guests who were attending the wedding. "I hope they won't be too let down if Cloud's a no show…"

"He would never do that to Tifa that guys a sap OUCH!" Arieth growled at him and he apologised, "Sorry…But what do you think that you can do? What if he just continues to run? You'll never catch him in those."

"Exactly" Arieth grabbed hold of Zack's hand and took off towards the main doors; "You'll help me" they both ran out into the street and began searching round for Cloud.

**-Cloud-**

Cloud didn't know where to go so he ran for the pavilion, at least there he would be able to sit down in peace and clear his head. But as he approached the pavilion he heard some entrancing music began to play. It pulled him in luring him to go and listen, it was the same as last night, he felt drawn to it, the spark was being lit once more by the music flowing out of the pavilion. Cloud walked up to the entrance and slipped inside. Once in there his heart nearly stopped in shock, there on the stage was Leo in mid song, singing his heart out…literally. But that couldn't be right, why was Leo here at his wedding? He felt his head swim once more and he nearly collapsed down onto the ground right where he stood… in fact he did, he fell down onto the ground and just listened to the sweet song of the man who he thought he'd never see again. Funny, how he could never make the connection…

"Your secret is safe with me,  
Cause my lips are sealed,  
Far from the lies they talk to you,  
And now that you let me in,  
In on your secret,  
The sound of silence will soon fade away,  
You're not alone,"

Once more the guitars tempo increased and Leo began to sway more sensual this time, flowing through the motion of the now added piano backing that carried the piece onto a new wave of music, almost changing it into a spellbinding chant. The drum picking up its pace too, doubling its beats while Leo sang out the lyrics. Cloud just couldn't believe it, how? Why? When? This only made him unsure even more of what he should do, just the sight of Leo up on that stage was bringing back so many memories…so many good memories…He just had to talk to Leo, just clear his conscience with him…If he did that then, maybe just maybe he wouldn't feel like he did right now… or maybe it might change his life forever. He stumbled back up onto his feet, he felt so dizzy as if he were about to pass out, he could hardly even focus his eyes. All he could see was a distant figure of Leo, that ever so familiar figure. The sway of his hips, the sound of his voice, that ever so sweet husky voice.

"I want to be the one that you can count on,  
And I want to be someone that you can trust,  
And I'll keep my word; I made a promise to you,  
For what it's worth, I've always stood by your side,"

here came the bridge full of a soft violin solo, with soft acoustic in the background followed by a soft piano solo. All these carried Leo's voice throughout the pavilion and straight to Cloud, he felt as if those words were directed straight at him, little did he know that they were. And once more Leo let those last two sentences belt out throughout everywhere, sending all his frustration and pented anger out through this song. Then came a small acoustic solo, leading into a repeat of the chorus once more.

"Your secret is safe with me  
Cause my lips are sealed,  
Far from the lies they talk to you,  
And now that you let me in,  
In on your secret,  
The sound of silence will soon fade away,  
You're not alone,"

Every instrument was playing during this chorus, the acoustic guitar still strumming, the drum beating in the background, the piano's chords harmonizing the whole song together and lastly the sweet sound of the violin tying everything together. Leo never stopped singing his hardest, never even noticing the blonde coming to a stop in front of the stage, nor the look of pure hurt and devastation on his confused face. this had to be Leo, but that scar…

"For the first time I saw inside of you…" Leo fell silent as did every instrument, the ending note being a run strummed by the guitarist. Leo kept his eyes closed for a moment, still trying to get all his emotions under control, "Cloud" he whispered as he dropped the microphone onto the ground, "for you" it was only then, when he opened his eyes did he see Cloud standing in front of him, looking nearly at the point of crying, well wouldn't you if you had just finally pieced together that the person who you thought was one of your closest friends was actually the man who you possibly maybe had some feelings for? That scar wasn't Leo's it was Leon's! Leo, Leon, how stupid had he been not to see it sooner!!

"You…" Cloud couldn't believe it, it couldn't be! "Leon?!!!" Once again Cloud did what he did best in confusing situations…he ran…again.

"Cloud wait!" Leon called after Cloud for him to stop; now he knew Leon needed a chance to explain things to him, but Cloud continued to run. The band looked after the two with confusion, where was their singer going? And with the groom? Did this mean they weren't playing anymore?

"Cloud?" Arieth poked her head into the pavilion as well as Zack only to have Cloud tear past them, "Aw come on!!" Arieth exclaimed, "Not again!!"

"Man he likes to run…" Zack commented, "He should be in the Olympics!"

"Shut up, Leon what happened?" She tried to talk to Leon but she got the same reaction out of him that she did out of Cloud, silence and some fast running. "Leon!! Stop!!!" She turned and followed the running pair as fast as she could, but again she was in heels and they were two fit guys. Zack followed after Arieth, being the ever so good husband ran alongside her just keeping at a steady pace. Cloud ran round to the front of the hotel only to be greeted with one angry bride and a bunch of nosey confused guests.

"Cloud!" Tifa screeched, "What do you think that you are doing?! We are late!!" Cloud froze at the sight of all the guests and most of his friends staring at him, he was so unsure of what he was meant to do, he had never felt such confusion as he did now than in his whole life, and Tifa was still expecting him to get married.

"I…uh…I…" He just couldn't fit any words together; thankfully he was saved by a trio of runner coming tearing round the corner after him, Leon followed by Arieth and Zack.

"Cloud!" Leon came to a stop beside of Cloud and Arieth and Zack a little further back, "Please let me…"

"No!" Cloud reeled away from him and went to run away again but then a voice screeched,

"What is going here?!!" Tifa was furious and storming over to Cloud, "Cloud what is wrong with you? We have a wedding today, or did you forget?!" Cloud shook his head and stumbled back even further,

"Cloud please don't run again…" Arieth said softly walking towards him, but Cloud didn't even want her near him for he only stumbled back even further.

"Cloud…"

"Cloud"

"CLOUD!!" Cloud couldn't clear his head; it was so fuzzy and felt at the point of exploding. He turned and ran again, but this time he didn't account for the busy main street he was running into.

"No Cloud!!" Arieth screamed, everyone in the crowd gasped as they saw what he was heading for but he didn't seem to see any of the traffic nor hear it, he was completely blind and deaf to the world. Leon acted instantly, switching into his overprotective Cloud mode. He ran after Cloud and seemed to cover twice the distance Cloud did in the same amount of time, catching up with him easily. He pulled Cloud back off the street and into his arms, stopping him from being run over. Cloud gasped lightly as he was pulled into Leon's arms and stared up into his eyes. It was kinda like one of those cliché moments where it seems like there are only two people in the universe and it's you and the one gazing right into your eyes at the very moment. All the guests sighed in relief that Cloud was safe, but were still very confused as to what was going on, and Tifa was still immensely pissed.

"Would someone like to tell me what is going on?!!" she screeched, "This is my wedding after all!!" Arieth cringed; it was time to do some recon,

"Too right and you should all head back into the Ballroom and get ready for the ceremony…" she elbowed Zack, who flinched and then cried,

"Oh yes come on everyone!" He ushered for them to head back into the hotel but none seemed to be listening, they were all watching Cloud and Leon.

"Cloud…" Leon whispered, "I just…"

"NO!" Cloud pushed himself away from Leon shaking like a leaf, "I CANT!" he then again turned and ran once more. Leon cringed and cursed silently to himself, there was no way he could let him run away by himself, he was bound to get himself run over. So he turned and followed after him, this was his one chance to finally tell Cloud the truth once and for all.

"What?! Cloud come back here!!!" Tifa screeched, but once again Cloud wasn't listening he just ran. Arieth noticed Sephiroth, Vincent, Reno and Rude standing in the crowd and sighed, at least she had found a way to stall the wedding.

"Oi psst Seph, Vince, Reno, Rude over here!" all four turned and looked at Arieth before striding over to her, once making their way around one very distraught bride.

"Hey" Reno said, "What can we do for you?"

"Stall" was the short answer he got, "Stall for your life" she turned to Zack and added, "You too" she shoved Zack towards the quartet. "Go now!" all five nodded and turned swiftly to do their job, they now had a wedding to get under control.

"People!" Zack boomed, "Please return to Ballroom for the wedding shall be commencing shortly…" everyone looked around themselves and began to shuffle back into the hotel, heading towards the Ballroom, for all the excitement had seemed to have ceased out here. All five began to direct the crowd back inside and Yuffie help Tifa get herself under control and help her also head back into the Ballroom, for her dress may have been beautiful, long and flowing, but it was anything but practical. And secretly Yuffie was beaming from ear to ear as she did this, now this was her type of wedding.

**-Cloud and Leon-**

You'd think that after all the running Cloud had already done he would have collapsed down into and exhausted heap, well he nearly did…a few times, but in the end the only time he did end up stopping was when he reached a dead end, then he pretty much didn't have another option. He stopped out of breath and leant against a brick wall he'd come up against.

"Why?" he whispered to himself, "Why me?" he heard some footsteps behind him and he spun and leant back against the wall even further. "No…go away!" Leon came to a stop a few metres away from him puffed and flustered.

"Cloud please"

"No!"

"Just let me explain…"

"Why?!"

"Because…you need to hear this…" he took a step towards Cloud who shook his head vigorously and held his arms out so the Leon would keep his distance.

"I don't want to!"

"Cloud just shut up and listen please!" Leon took a deep breath and then began to make the most important speech of his life. "I know today is meant to be your wedding day and well…I am not going to try and stop you, I just, it was…" Leon watched as Cloud calmed down a little and began to really listen to him and this gave him slightly more confidence to continue, but he was still having trouble finding the right words to say. "Cloud I-I love you," Cloud's eyes widened in shock at the words emitting from Leon mouth and his mouth fell open in surprise, sometimes he was rather clueless. "I'm not just saying that because you're getting married, or because of what happened last night…I've been in love with you since we first met…"

"Then why didn't you say so?!" Cloud squeaked, he couldn't understand how anyone but Tifa could really love him, he'd never thought it was possible. Everyone he's ever cared for when he was younger had told him so anyway.

"Because I love you so much that I would do anything to see you happy and being with Tifa seemed to be the only thing that made you happy…"

"But last night why? How did…It didn't look like you!!"

"Last night was a stupid selfish act that I should have never committed, I never thought I would do this much damage to you, I just wanted a chance to show you what real love felt like. And something as simple as make-up can hide something so recognizable as my scar…" he took a step closer to Cloud and reached into the pocket of his pants, pulling out Cloud's engagement ring. "I never want to see you unhappy so here." He reached out his right hand, holding the ring out for Cloud to take, "I just wanted a chance to tell you how sorry I am, and ask maybe for your forgiveness I ne…"

"No"

"Pardon?"

"I still doesn't make any sense, why didn't you tell me? Why go to such lengths like wearing make-up to hide your identity from me?!" Cloud reached out shakily and took the ring from Leon, slowly bringing up to his face afterwards, this was all too confusing for him, surly if you like a person you just tell them so right? As he did that Leon noticed a ribbon tied around Cloud's wrist, his ribbon, this was slightly more confusing, why did Cloud have his hair ribbon?

"I… I was afraid, but that's my ribbon, why do you have it?" Cloud's eyes flickered down to the silk ribbon tied around his wrist and blushed; he really didn't have an answer to Leon's question.

"I just…I couldn't throw it away…"

"Why?"

"I don't know" a small smile flickered across Leon's face, was it truly possible that Cloud might actually feel something for him.

"I asked you a question last night" Leon whispered, "I asked you if you love her, do you?" Cloud looked once more into those smoky grey orbs staring right at him before looking at the ground in shame,

"She loves me" he whispered, "And I betrayed her"

"What?!" Leon couldn't believe it; Cloud was beating himself up about one small one night stand, where as Tifa had one nearly every week!

"I betrayed her love…"

"That is crap Cloud!" Leon boomed and for the first time he released the angry Leon upon Cloud. "You think Tifa is so perfect, but you cannot even see what is right in front of your eyes!! You think that she is the only one who loves you but that is not true!! I love you Cloud and there are many others that do so as well…She doesn't love you Cloud, she only loves your munny…"

"What? No, Tifa's not like that!!" Cloud wouldn't let Tifa be talked about like that, not after all she had done for him. This new side of Leon secretly kinda scared him, he'd never witnessed angry Leon before, but in truth angry Leon scared most people.

"Oh really? Who's paying for the wedding Cloud? Who's paying for the Honeymoon? Or the new house? Her dress? Who's paying for everything?!!" Cloud blinked slowly for a few seconds as once more realisation hit him, but this time in a big tsunami. It was true, he was paying for everything and she hadn't offered to help once, and this wasn't exactly a cheap wedding. Angry Leon may have been scary, but he did make a lot of sense, more that Cloud could have made on his own.

"No…" it just couldn't be true though, "Tifa she…"

"Could there never be someone else?" Leon asked approaching Cloud once more and this time not having and resistance, "Does it always have to be her?"

**-Arieth-**

Arieth left the wedding in the hands of her trusty husband and well the other four and raced after Cloud and Leon, well tried to, but once again the heels were her undoing and she fell behind once more and eventually lost them.

"Oh damn it!" she cursed, "I'll never find them now…"

"That is crap Cloud!" Oh that sounded like angry Leon, it was a very distinctive sound and never mistakable. Arieth cheered quietly and headed in the direction of the angry Leon. She soon came to an alley and when she peered round the corner, saw Leon up and close talking to Cloud,

'_Aw I think I'll just leave them for a moment, maybe finally Cloud will sort out where his love lies…_' she grinned as a few tears brimmed up in her eyes, she wasn't going to cry though, well not yet anyway. So she just let the conversation continue, whilst she watched from a distance.

**-Ballroom-**

After directing all the guests back to their seats, the five stood at the entrance of the ballroom talking to Yuffie,

"You keep her here until Arieth comes back with Cloud" Zack said,

"Easier said than done, her highness is already pmsing that everything is ruined, but really I'd say that already this is one of the best weddings I've ever been to!" She giggled before turning and running back over to the distraught Tifa and trying again to keep her calm.

"Right" Reno said, "What's the plan?"

"There is none" Rude said noting the smirk on Zack's face,

"Exactly…we're gonna wing it boys!" he strode into the ballroom and up the aisle in the middle of the room, the others followed him all slightly worried about how long they would be able to successfully stall the wedding for. "Right Folks" Zack boomed catching the attention of all the guests, including the hearing impaired ones. "Who wants to see a magic trick?" there were lots of confused mumbles travelling across the room, but at a glance from Zack, Rude took his cue and cried,

"Oh I do" he elbowed Reno, who then cried,

"Me too" Zack smiled and boomed,

"Then prepare to be amazed as I…" he reached under his jacket and began to pull something out, "Pull my sword from my pocket!!" As was claimed happened, Zack did indeed pull his beloved Buster sword out of his pocket, which he had leant to Cloud, but, took back once Cloud had gotten together with Tifa, he reckoned that no one would ever mess with that woman, well most sane people anyway. There were many gasps from throughout the room, no one thought it was possible to hold a sword that large inside a jacket, and truthfully it really wasn't possible, but that was the magic in it! Zack reached the front where the ceremony was meant to be taking place and pivoted on his heels, swinging his sword out in a flashy manor to show off to the crowd before pointing it at the approaching quartet. "Bask in awe at the magic of the magnificent Zack as he attempts to put this sword down my lovely assistant…" all four's eyes widened at this, none really wanted Zack to try and shove his sword down their throats or any orifice for that matter. "Sephiroth, everyone please give him a cheer, throat!" most of the crowd erupted into cheer, where as some, well mostly Tifa's side of the family or friends, stayed silent, not seeing this as very amusing, some did though.

"Hell no" Sephiroth growled as both Reno and rude grabbed hold of his arms, "You are not putting that anywhere near me" Zack's grin widened and he then said,

"Well okay then, not my sword…" he strode forward up to Sephiroth, who was preoccupied with trying to yank off two leeches from his arms, meanwhile his boyfriend Vincent just stood aside and silently laughed, this was rather an amusing sight. Zack reached forward and into Sephiroth's jacket. "Your sword then?" he smirked as his hand clasped around the hilt of Sephiroth's sword Masamune and slowly withdrew it. He stepped back, and back…and back… and back even further until finally Masamune pulled free of Sephiroth's pocket. "Wow this thing is long" Zack commented swinging it around a bit, "No wonder you always used to win our fights!" he grinned at Sephiroth as he was dragged by the two leeches up to the front. "Now open wide!"

"No freaken way!"

"Aw come one"

"No!"

"Vincent could you be a dear and open his mouth for us?" Vincent smirked at Sephiroth and began to stride towards him,

"Sure" was his dark reply,

"Back off" came an even darker threat,

"Ohh drama ladies and gentlemen, but the real question is…who shall suffer the swords final wrath?!!" Zack cried dramatically

"Dun Dun DUN!!!" Reno and Rude both cried both trying to add to the suspension.

-In the crowd-

"What the hell is going on here?" Sora whispered to his taller boyfriend sitting beside him, "I thought this was a wedding, not a magic show…"

"It is" Riku commented smugly, "It's just all going wrong"

"Ohhhh…why?" Riku laughed at the innocence of his small uke and whispered,

"5 munny says Cloud doesn't show" Sora stared at him in disbelief, Cloud a no show? Never!

"10 says he returns and gets married!!" Sora retaliated, this was a game of theirs that they had gotten into a habit of playing and usually Riku won.

"15 says he's gay"

"What?!"

"Yep 15 says he's gay, didn't you see the moment he had going on with Leon back there…"

"No way he loves Tifa too much…"

"15 says he's gay"

"17 says you're wrong"

"…"

"Ha gotcha"

"No, 20 says I can screw you and get back here before anything good happens…annnd that Cloud is gay" Sora debated this get for a moment and Riku just stared at him with a large smirk plastered across his delicate face. And finally Sora came to a decision.

"You're on!" He giggled as Riku grabbed his hand and both of them headed out of their seats towards the bathrooms at the back of the room, hopefully nothing too interesting would happen in the next five minutes.

**-Cloud and Leon-**

"Does it have to be her?" Leon reached forward and stroked the side of Cloud's face, "What does she have that I don't?" Cloud reached up and grabbed his hand, pulling it away from his face,

"Do you really love me?" he whispered, Leon smiled at him before replying,

"With my whole heart… you stole that from me the very first moment you walked into my life and took my breath away" Cloud could feel butterflies in his stomach, why did Tifa never say anything like that to him? In fact really he couldn't recall her ever really commenting him other than the repetitive I love you.

"But Tifa…"

"Forget her Cloud, come away with me. I'll be the one to love you, I'll be the one to make you smile every day, I only you'll let me" Cloud's butterflies were fluttering out of control now, he felt so lightheaded and faint because of Leon words, but his conscious was still not clear.

"I couldn't, I promised to marry her…"

"Why don't you ever do something for yourself Cloud?! I have never heard you say you were marring Tifa for you, don't you care about your happiness?"

"It's just…" Cloud wanted to tell Leon everything, but he felt as if Tifa was hovering over him, watching his every move, why couldn't last night have just lasted forever, he had no doubts then, no worries, he had been free and he wanted to be once again, but that was the difference between fantasy and reality, freedom.

"Cloud, if there was no Tifa, if you had never met her, would you have given me a chance? If it had been me asking you to marry me would you say yes?" Cloud's eyes nearly popped out of his head this time, what was Leon saying? He couldn't mean that surely? He had to be joking, they hadn't even dated and he was asking about marriage! Wait did that mean Cloud wanted to date Leon? Would he have said yes? He felt Leon lean closer to him and he closed his eyes, this all just felt so right now, he wanted this moment to last forever…

**-Arieth-**

Arieth couldn't hear the conversation that was going on at the moment, maybe if she could have she wouldn't have interrupted it, but she was standing beside a busy road and this was a city so she didn't.

"Oh Zack, I probably shouldn't have left you in charge…" she knew that whenever Zack tried to distract, things usually blew up, and also that he had a fascination of one day being able to shove Sephiroth's freakishly large sword down his throat…she didn't ask why, because quite frankly she didn't really want to know the answer. "Oh I don't want to interrupt, they look so adorable…but…" she ran back up the road a little to see if she could spot the hotel and tell if there was any explosions happening or any giant black wings appearing in the sky, but she couldn't quite see it and this was only making her more nervous, "If anything gets broken, Tifa will surely make us pay...aw and this place is expensive!!" she sprinted back to the alley and without stopping into the alley, Cloud had had enough time to make up his mind, it was time he started acting like a man instead of Tifa's lapdog.

"Cloud!" she called, not wanting to look like she had been watching most of the conversation, "Cloud are you down…" she froze, Leon and Cloud looked like they were just about to kiss…well correction did, but still. She cringed, maybe she should have left them for a little longer. "Oh uhum…"

"Arieth?" Cloud poked his head around Cloud and noticed her looking rather embarrassed, "What are you doing?"

"Well I was coming to find you but..."

"Couldn't you have waited a moment longer?" Leon barked swivelling his head round to glare at Arieth, "We were busy!" man his glare made even Arieth flinch, he was one scary man at times… okay most of the time.

"Sorry it's just I came to find you because if you haven't noticed there meant to be a wedding today, and you need to go there and sort this whole mess out Cloud and aw you two look so cute" she cupped her hands together as the pair blushed slightly and then shook her head and continued,

"Oh and I may have left Zack in charge of distracting so…"

"Oh crap" Leon muttered, Cloud just cringed and then noticed the position that he was still in and pushed Leon off him, then he went on feeling stupid for not noticing it before, it was just…Leon was so warm and made him feel safe and happy, he really wanted to keep that feeling, he didn't want to lose that again.

"I have to go back" Cloud whispered, "I have to" what he meant was, I have to go back to face Tifa, but Leon saw it more as I have to go back to be with Tifa. He stared at Cloud his whole expression saddening, he had tried his hardest to win Cloud, but it seemed that even his best wasn't as good as Tifa's boobs. It was rather funny at how bad the pair were at interrupting each other's feelings sometimes, a far cry from when they were both intoxicated…it must have been something in the air because on a regular day, the pair were kinda like two bricks. It amazed Arieth sometimes at how dense they could be.

"Fine" he turned away from Cloud and began back towards the hotel. Arieth waited for Cloud and they also made their way back to the hotel, Cloud utterly silent and confused about Leon's sudden mood change and Arieth anxious about what state the hotel's Ballroom would be in by the time they got there, also she was baffled by how her two best friends were acting, she felt like locking them in a room and throwing away the key so they could not escape until they had admitted how they felt about each other…to each other!

**-Ballroom-**

"Come on Sephy you know you want to" by now the trio had Sephiroth cornered, he had previously broken free from the two leeches and then proceeded to punch them very hard in the face before turning to Vincent and not wanting really to hit his boyfriend, just backed away and turned his attention to Zack. At this point Vincent had pulled out of the fight, feeling also that he didn't want to hurt his boyfriend, no matter how tempting it was and went back to leaning against the wall. Then the trio, after two members recovering from Sephiroth's hits began to corner him. "Think of it as helping Cloud" Zack said,

"That just makes me not want to do it more!" Sephiroth hissed, "Two more seconds of this and I will start blowing things up" Zack froze; Arieth would defiantly kill him if anything got blown up,

"Oh well that will just make things more exciting!" he cried,

"You will not blow up my wedding!" Tifa screeched storming up the aisle, "Sit down now all of you!!" All five men turned to her and three of them nodded and ran, a sword clanking down onto the ground while another disappeared, while the other two just calmly walked off the stage, the dropped sword being picked up and curses being made upon certain black haired men. Tifa stormed around at the front of the ballroom, as Yuffie came running up the aisle to try and calm her down. As all this was happening, two figures slipped back into the hall and took their seats.

"See" Riku whispered, "We didn't miss a thing"

"Mmm" Sora just leant his head on his boyfriend, one day he wanted to have a magnificent wedding just as beautiful as this when he and Riku got married.

"Where is he?!!!" Tifa was beyond furious; she had now taken mad to another level. "If he doesn't turn up then I swear I'll!"

"You'll what Tifa?" Arieth called as she, Cloud and Leon entered the Ballroom.

"Cloud!" she sighed running towards him, "You're back!" she stopped in front of him and suddenly her angry face returned, "YOU'D BETTER HAVE A REALLY GOOD EXPLAINATION FOR ALL OF THIS!!" she screeched. Cloud flinched at her yelling, now it had become all clear to him, Tifa never loved him from the beginning, it had been true all along, she had only been with him for his money. How could he have been so stupid again! He was beginning to think that all the things his father had said were true…

"I…"

"No just don't, you're here now, so let's get this over and done with…"

"But…" Tifa covered the distance between them and then before anyone could stop her she slapped Cloud across the face,

"You have stood me up long enough Cloud, and I am sick of it do you want to marry me or not!!!" Cloud grabbed his face where he had been slapped and he felt a presence appear behind him. He looked up to see Leon standing behind him a death glare on his face. He leant his head down and grabbed hold of Cloud's hand that was on his face. His mood from before was long forgotten now that Cloud was in danger of being hurt, protective Leon was taking over again.

"You alright?" he whispered, Cloud nodded. He felt alright now that Leon was beside him, he felt like he did last night, as if he could do anything and be anyone, he didn't need Tifa.

"No Tifa I do not want to marry you." There was a gasp from the crowd and some quiet cheers as well. Cloud let his hand drop from his face, though he still kept a firm hold on Leon's as he confronted Tifa for the first time in his life, finally standing tall with his head held high, he was finally standing up for himself. "You have used me for the last time!" he cried, "You do not love me, as I thought and that has become clear to me now. I do not wish to marry you, in fact I want nothing more to do with you" Tifa couldn't believe what she was hearing, her Cloud, the man she had wrapped round her finger was saying he didn't want to marry her. This was unreal, she had to be dreaming or something, this just wasn't right!

"Excuse me?" she was flabbergastered, "You're telling me you don't want to get married anymore"

"Well not to you I don't" Cloud replied calmly, "Someday I might get married…just not to you" Arieth walked up to Cloud's other side and grabbed hold of his other hand. He glanced at her and she smiled,

"Here no matter what remember?"

"Me too" Leon added, "You're not alone anymore" Cloud blushed and smiled the biggest smile he thought he ever would and then lifted his head once to address Tifa.

"I'm sorry it's inconvenient, but I cannot help what my heart tells me, and it tells me I do not love you, and that you have never loved me"

"I cannot believe you!" she cried, "You will regret this, no one but me would have put up with you, you will never find love now!"

"You're wrong" Leon boomed, "Cloud has us, and all his friends…and he has me" he last bit of his sentence was whispered so only Cloud could hear and this made the butterflies begin in Cloud's stomach once more.

"Yeah" Arieth agreed, "You are not wanted here anymore Tifa"

"ARGH!!!!" Tifa couldn't stand to be here any longer. She stormed past Cloud, Leon and Tifa and out of the Ballroom, there was no way she was staying in a place where she wasn't wanted. "Mark my words Cloud, you will regret this!!" and then she was gone, her family leaving after her, their daughters happiness the topic of their concern at the moment. Once she had left Cloud let out a large sigh of relief, he had never felt like this in his life before, he finally felt free. Adrenalin was running through his body and he felt as if he could fly he was just glowing from ear to ear. There was a loud cheer from three quarters of the room; these were all Cloud's family and friends, not his immediate family, he didn't want anything to do with them anymore, but everyone else. The others were angry and all began to leave their seats, heading out of the Ballroom in disgrace, they were disgusted by Cloud's actions, now thinking Tifa deserved much better. Arieth let go of Cloud and hugged him,

"I'm so proud of you!" she cried, "I never thought you'd ever stand up for your happiness, but you did!" Cloud smiled and hugged her back, letting go of Leon's hand.

"Thanks Arieth, I couldn't have done most of this without you" Arieth pulled back, her eyes filling up again.

"Oh Cloud I think I'm gonna cry!" she let go of Cloud and ran over to Zack, "Honey!" she cried, "I'm so glad you didn't blow anything up!"

"Like I would" was his reply.

"Uhuh" While Arieth was embracing her husband; Cloud turned to Leon and smiled at him,

"Leon I just want to say thanks, I never would have done any of this without you, and that…I think I love you" he blushed as Leon pulled him into a hug and whispered in his ear.

"I love you too Cloud more than anything, and you don't need to thank me for anything." Leon pulled his head back and looked deep into Cloud's eyes. Once more they had one of those cliché moments, where they just stared into each other's eyes and no one else mattered. Eventually Leon leant in for the kiss, and Cloud closed his eyes once more, the butterflies in his stomach going crazy. But once again Leon was interrupted, but this time by a very confused crowd.

"What are we going to do now?" Yuffie cried, "Is there going to be a wedding?"

"Can we still party?" Someone in the crowd cried,

"Aw I was looking forward to a wedding" someone else added. Leon looked down at Cloud and smirked,

"Before I asked you a question" he whispered, "I asked if it had been me asking would you marry me." Cloud blushed even before Leon finished, he knew what was coming. "Will you?" Cloud bent his head into Leon's chest and muttered something. "I'm sorry but what was that?" Leon lifted Cloud's head to look at him and saw his eyes were full with water.

"Yes" he whispered, "I say yes" Leon grinned at him, this had to be the best day of his life, he had never dreamed he would ever get this chance, but now here he was and Cloud was his.

"What about the band, can we still listen to them?" Some random guy yelled.

"Oi Arieth!" Leon cried, "Over here!" Arieth turned to face them and a huuuuuge grin appeared across her face, she only needed one look at the pair holding hands to set her off. She squealed and ran over to Yuffie before whispering something in her ear.

"Omigosh no?!!" Yuffie cried. Arieth nodded and Yuffie began to bound up and down before she tore off to the front of the room to where the justice of the peace stood looking very confused. Arieth ran back to Zack who was also looking slightly confused and whispered something to him.

"Really?" he cried,

"Yep" then she was gone running over to Leon and Cloud. "Ready?"

"You don't even…" Cloud began,

"I don't need to hear you say it to know what's going on" she said with a smile, "Now let's go, I didn't really want all this wonderful wedding to go to waste, and now it won't!" she shoved the couple up the aisle and most of the crowd were now silent in wonder, they had no clue what was going on now. Zack followed them and once they were up there, Yuffie standing beside Leon and Arieth beside Cloud, he turned to the crowd.

"Sorry all but the plans have changed once more!" he swept his hands around and commented, "As you can see this is a lovely wedding and a rather expensive one at that!" he grinned at everyone, "So we don't want it to go to waste, so were not letting it!" he glanced back at the people standing on the stage and then added finally, "At least there is going to be a wedding, not Cloud and Tifa's but…Our good friend Cloud and Leon's!!" there was a moment of silence before the room shook with the cheers that were being cried out.

"Finally!!!" Some cried,

"How sweet!!" other cooed,

"Go Leon!!!" was in there somewhere and there was a lot of whistling and just normal yelling and screaming, everyone of the people left were friends of Cloud and Leon and all of them knew that they were meant for each other. Leon turned to Cloud and grinned at him,

"You ready?" he whispered,

"Yes" Cloud replied, "This I am finally sure of"

"Well" the justice said, "This is a little unorthodox and I haven't prepared for this couple but, shall we begin?" Leon looked at Cloud, who nodded and smiled.

"Yes" he answered.

"Right, Ladies and gentlemen we are gathered here today to join…" And so the ceremony began, Cloud and Leon declaring their love for each other, it was so right for Cloud, even though he had only been out with Leon once and it wasn't the most conventional date, he knew this was what he wanted to do, this was what he wanted for his life, Leon was the man he wanted to spend the rest of his life with.

-In the crowd-

"20 munny" Riku said smugly, "He's gay" Sora huffed and reached into his pocket and produced some munny,

"You win this time" he muttered, "But I hope you know that I've gotten some great wedding ideas from this…"

"What?"

"Yep"

"…Oh god…" Riku groaned, he could already feel his wallet burning at the prospect. "This isn't good"

-Cloud and Leon-

"Do you take Cloud Strife to be your husband?" the justice asked Leon,

"I do" was his answer. She turned to Cloud,

"Do you take Leon Lionheart to be your husband?" she repeated,

"Yes I do" The justice nodded and the turned to Arieth and asked,

"Do you have the rings?" Arieth turned to Yuffie,

"Rings?"

"I only have one that will fit Cloud" she hissed, "The other is for Tifa, it's way too small!"

"Oh…" she grabbed that one and handed it to Leon, "Sorry we only have one"

"That's okay" Cloud said digging his hand into his pocket, "I have one that will fit" he pulled out his engagement ring and smiled at Leon, "Aren't you glad you kept it?" he said,

"Sure am" He turned to the justice, who said,

"Leon, do you promise to cherish Cloud and look after him through sickness and health for richer and for poorer for as long as you both shall live?"

"I do" Leon said placing the ring upon Cloud's finger,

"And Cloud do you also promise to cherish Leon and look after him through sickness and health for richer and for poorer for as long as you both shall live?"

"I do" he slipped his ring upon Leon's finger and grinned as it fit perfectly, this was just what everything was…perfect.

"Now I don't think anyone here has any reason why these two should not be married, but if you do speak up now or forever hold your peace…"No one moved a muscle at this point and time, everyone agreed that Leon and Cloud were absolutely perfect for each other. The justice took a short glance around the room before nodding her head and continuing," Good I now pronounce you married, you may kiss each other!" she said smiling. Leon chuckled and pulled Cloud in tight,

"Oh how I have dreamed of this day" he whispered,

"Well you don't have to dream any longer," Cloud replied,

"Too right, and there's no more running from you, you are mine now…and forever!" he pulled Cloud in for a deep passionate kiss that he had wanted to give him twice today, but now it meant the most to him it would ever do. Cloud was sure he could hear fireworks behind him as Leon kissed him, but it was the whole Ballroom erupting into cheers again. Neither wanted to pull away from each other, every emotion that they had been feeling was being poured into this kiss, and neither wanted it to ever end, but in the end Leon pulled away, knowing that feeling what he did, if he hadn't have pulled away things might have gotten out of hand, Cloud may have topped last night, but it wasn't about to happen again anytime soon. Unless they happened to get drunk, Cloud was a sexy assed seme drunk.

"Three cheers for the new couple!!" Arieth cried. Once more everyone erupted into cheer and Leon and Cloud grinned at each other before Leon pulled Cloud in close and kissed him a few times on his head.

"I love you" he whispered. Cloud looked up at him and smiled, Leon loved that smile, he had hardly ever saw it before, but now he was seeing it all the time and it made him so happy.

"I love you too Leon" he said before pulling Leon into another kiss. Arieth pounced on the couple, tears streaming down her face, she'd held in her tears for so long, but now they had just exploded from her eyes, she was just so happy for her two best friends, and she cried,

"Save it for the honeymoon now! Lets party!!!" everyone cheered in agreement as they jumped up out of their seats,

"Party!!!" was the cheer now. Everyone headed out of the Ballroom and out to the pavilion, lead by the newlyweds. Cloud just couldn't stop smiling, this had to be the best day of his whole life, he had never felt so safe nor so loved, he never wanted to lose Leon ever! Nor did Leon ever want to lose Cloud, not ever! But there was one thing mostly running through Leon's mind as he and Cloud entered the pavilion hand in hand and that was he couldn't wait till the honeymoon.

**...LINEONCEMOREOHDIDNTYOUALLJUSTLOVETHEENDINGISNTITFLUFFY?WHOWANTSBONUS...**

**TADA!!! there is was people, my wonderful sequel xD hope you all enjoyed it, and well if enough people want it and review asking for it, i might do a nice bonus lemon chapter...if you all want me to xDD So hope you all review, i love to hear what you think of my stories...**

**Adious all, Minx =)**


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